


Leather Shoes & Sad Tattoos

by weeitsbreii



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 01:48:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7147163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weeitsbreii/pseuds/weeitsbreii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Granger and Niall Horan are strangers, having only crossed paths a few times. But they are more alike than they ever realized...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I sat in the chair and waited as the tattoo artist prepped his machine. I looked at the stencil on my arm with a sad smile. Two years ago my twin sister, Maxi, was murdered. We rented an apartment in Brooklyn together while going to NYU. It was a few months before graduation. We were both studying to be early childhood teachers. Maxi specified in special needs children.

It was the weekend. Neither of us had homework, so we were going out with some friends from school. Her boyfriend, Josh, didn't want her to go. He was kind of clingy and super jealous. But he wasn't a big beefy guy. He was thin and dorky. So it was kind of cute. Maxi was on the phone with him for a few hours, arguing. By the time she convinced him everything would be fine, we were running a bit late. She still had to shower so she told me she'd meet me there. I tried telling her I didn't mind waiting, but she wouldn't budge. The club was only a ten minute walk. She insisted she'd be fine, to just tell everyone she'd be there soon. So I went ahead of her, while she finished getting ready. An hour went by. I had been texting her for at least twenty minutes, wondering if Josh maybe talked her out of coming. I know most people would have had a red flag go off. But Maxi always forgot to charge her phone. So I just assumed that was what happened. I excused myself, telling our friends I would be back later, with my forgetful sister, and headed home. A few blocks from the apartment I walked past an alley. I glanced to the right, out of habit, and stopped in my tracks. My chest became heavy with dread as I moved towards a shape on the ground behind a dumpster in the alley. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop myself. Being in a big city, you hear about people being mugged quite a bit in New York. But it's different to actually witness it. It's different when it's someone you love. Maxi's phone didn't die. It wasn't even on her. The druggie who killed her took it. About a week after Maxi's funeral, the cops found him. He had sold her phone for drug money and died of a heroine overdose.

It was hard, but I still graduated with my class. I've been the secretary at a daycare for the last year and a half. After all this time, I finally saved enough money for this tattoo. I have a teaching interview at the local preschool on Monday. If I get it, it will be the start of a new chapter in my life. I know Maxi would be proud of me. Lotuses symbolize new beginnings. They were also Maxi's favorite flowers. The tattoo only took a couple hours, and didn't hurt very much. It wasn't my first one, so I had become used to the feeling. It was perfect. Maxi would have been ecstatic when she saw it. I gave my artist his tip and headed to get something to eat. I was starving. I grabbed a burger, fries and icee from Burger King and headed to the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park to sit and eat. The Alice statue is my favorite place to sit. Always has been. Maxi and I hung out here all the time. Whether we were studying or just having lunch. Through The Looking Glass was her favorite book. She loved walking around the statue, reading the quotes on the ground over and over. As I ate I let my mind wander, thinking about all of the fun times we had here. I was still daydreaming when I got up to throw away my trash, so it was no surprise when I turned from the trash can and smacked right into someone. A male someone. A very attractive male someone. He was tall and fair, with blonde hair and deep sea blue eyes.

"Erm," I mumbled. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." He smiled. A gorgeous smile. It looked familiar.

"It's fine," he replied. Okay. It may be rude but I have to ask. It's bothering me.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" His eyebrows scrunched together for a second, pursing his lips, before breaking into a huge smile.

"Oh yea! My name's Niall. I'm Josh Meyer's friend. He was with your sister." He said the last sentence with hesitation, obviously trying not to make me too uncomfortable.

"That's right. I remember you. Me met a couple times. You were at the funeral." He shifted his weight and gave an awkward smile. I felt kind of bad.

"Yea. I mean we weren't as close as me and Josh, but she was still a pretty good friend."

"Everyone loved her." I gave him a big smile. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna make you feel sad. What brings you out here?" Niall smiled and held up a guitar case.

"Just headed to practice with my mates."

"That's right. I forgot you were in a band. Maxi dragged me to a couple of your gigs." He laughed.

"Dragged? Come on, we're not that bad!" I laughed.

"No I didn't mean it like that! I just-"

"I know." He bumped my leg with his guitar case. "Hey. Um. If you're not doing anything..." He paused, nervous again. "Do you wanna come? I mean.. You don't have to but-"

"No," I said with a smile. "I'd love to." Niall smiled back as we walked away from Alice and he friends.

"By the way, I love your tattoo."


	2. Chapter 2

Niall and I walked about fifteen minutes from the park to get to where his band practice was taking place. It was in an duplex above a pub, one half lived in by the owner, he shared with his three band mates and best friends. It's a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment with a kitchen and dining room. They use the dining room as a music room to practice in. Niall says the owner of the pub, Simon, doesn't mind them practicing. He lives alone with his dog, Pax, and used to be in a band himself. His band never took off though. He's apparently really nice and sees the boys as his sons. He wants them to succeed. He sounds like a really sweet man.

"Oi!!" Niall hollered as we entered the apartment. A guy with chin length brown hair poked his head.

"Bout time mate! We were about to start without you!" He said. It took a second to realize Niall wasn't alone. "Who's this?" He said walking towards us. Niall's other two friends peeked out of the kitchen out of curiosity before joining him.

"This is Sam. Sam this is Harry," the chin length brown haired guy, with green eyes, "Louis," short hair and green eyes, "and Liam," short brown hair and brown eyes. I waved awkwardly.

"Relax, Sam," Liam said. "We don't bite."

"Hard," Harry said, wagging his eyebrows. Liam and Harry laughed. Niall shot Harry a disgruntled look.

"Ignore him," Louis said. "Let's get started." Hanging out with the boys went better than I thought. We all took to each other quick and easy. They're carefree, but can also get down to business when need be. They tried to get me to sing too. I told them they were crazy.

"Come on, Samantha!" Harry cried. I shot him a dirty look. Like, excuse you.

"No," I pouted. Niall draped his arm over my shoulder and squeezed.

"Come on, Haz," Niall said. "If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to... Yet." He winked at me. I rolled my eyes and shrugged his arm off. Harry shrugged, letting it go until another time. When the boys didn't want to play anymore, they spent half an hour arguing about where to order take out from. Harry and Liam were both insisting on Chinese, but Louis and Niall were arguing for Italian. I didn't care. I'm just hungry. Suddenly everyone looked at me.

"What?" I asked. Niall smiled.

"We need a tiebreaker," he said.

"No."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Cuz I don't care," I chuckled. He shook his head.

"Please, love?" Louis pleaded. He gave me the look. You know the one. The puppy dog or Puss in Boots look. Shit. I sighed. Chinese was okay, I guess. I mainly just eat seafood though, not the actual Chinese food. So..

"Italian." Harry and Liam groaned while Louis grinned victoriously. Niall swept me up in a hug. It was like I was a feather. It was effortless for him. And for me? It was... nice. My heart sort of.. fluttered?.. I guess?.. when he picked me up. Honestly I haven't known him long, so as of now there wasn't much to say about it.

Another hour went by. We had ordered take out. Then, during some post-dinner bullshitting, someone had the bright idea of stopping by the liquor store and playing drinking games. I don't know who said it first, but as soon as it came out several cheers of agreement followed. Louis, being the oldest, was voted to venture out, while the rest of us stayed behind and brainstormed things to do. First, we played a board game called Party Til You Puke. Niall suggested it was a good starter so we could be more drunk for future games. We had an odd number of people, so it ended up being Niall and I, Louis and Harry, and Liam by himself. We all took turns rolling the dice, moving pawns on a board, and doing various tasks. If you didn't do the task, you had to take a drink. If you landed on a certain square, everyone would have to finish their drinks. The first team to make it from the front door to the toilet wins. The game lasted about an hour. We landed on the finish your drink square four times. Harry and Louis made it to the toilet first. In the game, of course. None of us, thankfully, had drank that much yet.

"Okay!" Harry bellowed, opening another beer. "Truth or Dare! Sam! How bout it, mate?" Motherfucker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to end it there! I know. I'm evil. Don't shoot me!


End file.
